Improved fire-escape



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. L. HORNE, OF BATAVIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W. L. BORNE, of Batavia, in the county ot' Kane and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines to Escape from Hotels and other Buildings While on Fire; and I do hereby declare the following,` to be an exact description thereof, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part ot' this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement and combination of a shat't or windlass on a frame that is intended to be used as a wash-stand in a chamber ot' a hotel and to be used as a tire-escape.

Figure l represents a view oi' the machine as a wash-stand. Fig. 2 represents the tireescape without the wash-stand top.

A represents a wash-stand top, and B the support or upright frame. C is a square frame attached to the top of frame B by screw-bolts D. On one side of this frame a windlass, E, is constructed, and ou the opposite corners are two rollers, Gr Gr. The center of the windlass E is wound with a rope, H, that passes through the cross-piece or foot-board of frame B to steady the machine in winding up the windlass to raise the machine back to the window from the ground after the machine has descended and been unloaded, and as the machine moves up it winds up the ropes J. On each side otl the center of windlass E is a rope, J, separated Jfrom the center by flan ges K K. The ends of these ropes J have a ring or hook, L, to be fastened to the window.

In case of lire, or for the purpose of escaping from an upper window of a house to the ground, the wash-stand top is removed and the machine is placed on the outside of the window and hooked fast by the hooks or rings L. The person desiring to escape places his i'eet on the foot-board of frame B, and sets the machine with the rollers G to the wall. With his right hand he turns the crank M and revolves the windlass that uncoils the ropes J, and he is safely lowered to the ground.

A ratchet and dog, N, is intended 'to be attached to the windlass to regulate the movement of the crank.

As this re-escapeis likewise used as awashstand, it is always a useful piece ot' furniture..

On the one side of the frame C, and opposite to the crank M, there is a lever, P, with a hinge. This lever presses against thejournal of the windlass E and acts as a brake or check. rllhe left hand of the person is pressing upon the lever P in descending, and the velocity of the machine is regulated in its descent.

Vhat I claim as my invention, andI desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement and construction of the windlass E, with its ropes H and J, and square frame O, with its brake P and its rollers G, when arranged and combined to operate as herein described.

2. The combination of the. fire-escape with a wash-stand top, so as to be used as a washstand and lire-escape, as herein described.

W. L. BORNE.

Witnesses E. G. Ho WLAND, R. T. FERGUSON. 

